Nicols' Nation article, reprinted on Common Dreams today, covers the same ground in more detail but not necessarily with any more enlightenment, using a quote from the Progressive Caucus co-chair Lynn Woolsey, about how PC will "insist" on a "robust option." As my and other comments on the Nichols piece argue, there is little to no chance that their "insistence" will lead to their vote against the bill if (actually when) it doesn't contain the "robust option." Grijalva tips off the strategy when he "insists" that there be a vote on the Medicare plus 5 amendment "for the record." This seems to be politician-speech for the fact that while he claims he is not "rolling over," what he is exactly doing is rolling over, giving up on passage of a bill in which he and his "insistent" other Progressive Democrats can create a "record" of their own commitment to a robust option or a Medicare plus 5, single payer or whatever-the-hell label one gives to anything besides a total and abject rolling over for an industry-crafted bill. Think of the potential for "we told you so!" reaping of political benefit when this health insurance enhancement bill does nothing whatever to advance the health of the America people. Brilliant politics, poor public service, these PCs.

Medicare for all, also known as single payer healthcare, is favored by a majority of Americans.

How can we convince Congress to actually enact what the people want?

Tell your members of Congress that unless they support Medicare for all, you won't support them.

Take the Medicare For All Pledge now:

http://bit.ly/medicareforallpledge

Medicare reimbursement rates allow the public option a small fraction of the full potential rate-setting leverage of single-payer. If we get a public option with Medicare rates, we've got very weak reform. Anything less is no reform at all. The rates are no good and it doesn't block the destructive cherry-picking, or implement the crucial admin streamlining.

And even Medicare doesn't have full leverage over provider rates because it doesn't cover the whole population. We need to prevent cherry-picking, we need admin streamlining, and we need a single pool for max rate-setting leverage. Medicare For ALL accomplishes everything. Instead of 2x healthcare cost inflation, slated to rise to 5x cost inflation in ten years, we'll whack it down to one, and keep it there. You ready to rumble?

Given the dismal performance of market competition to serve the market demands of the people, the squelching of market competition via single payer is entirely appropriate. You can raise the issue with any rightwinger: If competition doesn't deliver the benefits of competition, while monopoly delivers in other countries, then why not monopoly here? Oh you like monopoly (e.g. Microsoft/Intel, Monsanto, Halliburton, Clear Channel, etc) when it DOES NOT deliver the benefits, but you resist monopoly (single payer healthcare funding) when it's proven to deliver best value in other countries. That's oppression, plain and simple.

The two-party system is a failed one. One has to wonder, is it possible there are enough disaffected progressives to just bail ship from the Democratic Party and begin building alliances with the many factions of the Left. Unfortunately, the Left is too often incapable of overlooking small divisions and sacrificing for a larger goal. It runs counter to those who do not think like lock-step Republicans. If they could build a large enough coalition to begin fielding candidates, then they could start taking on the system, It would take years to build of course, but what we have got to lose. We are winning battles as it is.

The Dems would loose elections without support of the Left, and that is precisely what needs to happen. They are cowardly and corporate whores no different than their counterparts.

I'd like to see a re-commitment to the Labor Party, the one spearheaded by Tony Mazzocchi. Of course the question then arises, is there anything that can reawaken the House of Labor from its Rip Van Winkle sleep during the last 50 or more years. They have shown little inclination to break with the Democratic Party, even though the Party has done nothing for them. Then, again, most Americans themselves have an unpardonable innate indifference to the class warfare that has been waged since WWII, and more profoundly since the Reagan era. It better happen quickly since capitalism is a failed system, and we the lemmings are either running or being pushed to the precipice.

Another article on CD today reports that Bernie Sanders (Vermont) is putting a single-payer bill out for a vote, not because it will pass but to put on record who votes for and who against. That is NOT brilliant politics but poor public service. I for one want to see exactly who votes for Nancy Pelosi's traitorous bill.

Arizonians should be very proud of their Rep. Raul Grijalva. I sure would be if he were mine. I have a Darleen Hooley look alike who I think was cut from the same bolt of cloth.. I am very fortunate, I live in a country that gives me the best medcical care in the world FREE! I immigrated to Tahiti in the mid 70's became French in the 80's and feel like I won the Lottery... I still vote in my home state, but my new country has it down pat for the commons.... I wouldn't trade places with anyone today. Free Meds, Hospitalization, Doctors Visits and I pay for nothing.... No Blue Cross Blue Shield that keeps on climbing... My mom who is 91 is paying over $300.00 a month and still having to wade through a doughnut hole... France IS Better!!

If a so-called "Health Reform Bill" with a "states can opt out" provision reaches the White House and President Obama signs it he will forever be despised for having abandoned the low-income, poor, and downtrodden. Take my own state of Texas which is all but certain to opt out. That will deprive the numerous persons who would have signed up for the public option their opportunity to do so. This would be analogous to a civil rights act of 1964 with an opt-out clause for states in which case the public schools in Texas would have continued to be segregated!